POTSDAM - Marco Parisis (Guilford, CT) second half goal sparked an offensive outburst that carried the Clarkson University mens soccer team to a 4-3 decision over SUNY Cortland in the season opener for both squads Cortland State at Hantz Turf Field.

Golden Knights improve to 1-0-0 on the season while Cortland State falls to 0-1-0. The Green and Gold will host Stevens Institute of Technology tomorrow at 4 p.m. while Cortland travels to play St. Lawrence. Stevens downed SLU 4-1 in Canton on Friday while other season openers saw SUNY Potsdam drop Lyndon State 3-1 and SUNY Canton fall to Nazareth College 5-3.

KNIGHTS RALLY FOR WIN

Parisi got the Golden Knights on the board first in the 10th minute as the goalkeeper came out to make a play on the ball and Parisi lifted it over his head and into the net from 20 yards out.

Cortland answered in the 21st minute with a little help from the Golden Knights defense. Off of a corner kick the Clarkson back line headed the ball into their own net to knot the score at one.

The Red Dragons took the lead four minutes later as Matt Williams took a pass Robby Reiser and booted a ground ball passed charging Clarkson net-minder Alex White (Unadilla, NY) from 20 yards out.

After heading to halftime down 2-1, Clarkson struck just two minutes into the second half as Parisi volleyed a pass from Kyle Fisk (Pennelville, NY) out of mid-air and found the back of the net to tie the game at two.

The Golden Knights took the lead for good in the 59th minute as Parisi crossed the ball in front and Tucker Wilcox (Broadalbin, NY) buried the ball in the back of the net.

Clarkson got some needed insurance four minutes later. Alex Vozzella (Boston, MA) beat a defender down the left side and created a three on two. After a shot attempt by Paul Ancin (Schodak, NY) was turned away, Angelo DiFrancesco (Penfield, NY) gathered the rebound and crossed it back to Vozzella who scored the eventual game-winner for the Knights.

Darren McCormack brought the Red Dragons closer by blasting a direct kick passed the Clarkson defense to make the score 4-3, but his goal would prove to be the final one on the afternoon.

Alex White stopped eight shots while his counterpart Tim Beavais stopped seven. Cortland State had a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks but failed to capitalize on any of them.

BEARS DOWN LYNDON STATE

SUNY Potsdam mens soccer coach Adam Parker made it a point to his team that they would have to find ways to get off to quicker starts in order to have a more successful season and the Bears clearly passed their first test.

First test passed.

In hosting the Collegiate Village Mens Cup, the Bears season debut began with a bang Friday afternoon as Potsdam notched two goals in the opening

17 minutes en route to a 3-1 victory against Lyndon State (Vermont).

It was a milestone day for Potsdam as sophomore midfielder Kyle Cronin (Henrietta, N.Y.) picked up both his first career point and first career goal during the opening half. Junior transfer Brian Emery (Brewster, N.Y.) also recorded his first career goal with the Bears when he scored in the 38th minute on a helper from Alex Minsker (Brewster, N.Y.).

In the 17th minute, Cronin utilized some quick footwork to create an opening after a lead in pass from sophomore Tom Benedetto (Queensbury, N.Y.) to put Potsdam up 2-0.

Senior co-captain Alessio Vitale (Liverpool, N.Y.) struck in the ninth minute on a straightaway shot from about eight yards out on a feed from Cronin.

I had a man marking me and somehow he just disappeared, Cronin said. I was left alone in the box. The ball was coming and I just flicked it in

the back post. It was a nice goal. [On the assist], I saw Alessio

[Vitale] making a run dialog toward the box. He did a little give and go and it was nice finish. Hopefully, tomorrow I can build on this.

Potsdam (1-0) will open the second day of the tournament Saturday at 11 a.m. against Rutgers-Newark (0-1). It will be followed by SUNY Plattsburgh (1-0) against Lyndon State (0-1).

Potsdam controlled the first half with an 18-6 shots advantage and a 9-2 advantage on corner kicks.

I think we came out ready to go, coach Parker said. We scored some good goals and they were from guys that we wanted to see create more chances.

With Kyle getting his first career goal and assist and Brian was really dangerous so that was good to see. In the first half, he [Emery] had four or five shots on set plays.

The Hornets got on the scoreboard in the second half when Eric Nelson (Guildhall, VT.) found sophomore midfielder Colin Brady (Springfield, Vt / Springfield) for a goal.

In the opening match of the Collegiate Village Mens Soccer Cup, freshman forward Alexis Archilla (Warwick, N.Y.) beat his defender one-on-one and then kicked it past Matt Broomall (Somers Point, N.J.) in the 105th minute as Plattsburgh rallied past Rutgers-Newark 2-1 in double overtime in the early Friday afternoon game at Maxcy Turf Field.

Archilla received a booming assist from defender C.J. Pourakis (Stormville, N.Y.) whose kick stretched the field from yellow line to yellow line.

Archilla also made an impact earlier in the match when he found fellow freshman Nick Economou (Vestal, N.Y.) for the equalizer in the 48th minute.

The Scarlet Raiders retained the 1-0 lead through halftime on the strength of a diving save by sophomore goal keeper Matt Broomall.

Cardinals midfielder Matt Hamilton (Keeseville, N.Y.) was awarded a straightaway penalty kick about eight yards from the net. His attempt to find the corner of the net was robbed by Broomall, who ranged to his right and stuck out his right hand to make an outstretched save.

STEVENS TECH HANDLES SLU

The #20 St. Lawrence University mens soccer team fell in its home opener to #13 Stevens Tech at Sandy MacAllaster Field.

Colin Phillips and Jay Mikula scored two goals apiece for the Ducks, who improve to 1-0 on the season. St. Lawrences, who goal was scored by assistant captain Mark Provost, will look to rebound against SUNY Cortland tomorrow in day two of the North Country Lotto Classic. Stevens will travel to Clarkson to take on the Golden Knights.

Stevens wasted little time getting on the scoreboard in the first half as it scored two goals in the first four minutes. The first came off a restart as Stephan Dunbar gave a short pass to Kevin Calloway from the corner, who served a high ball to Phillips. Phillips headed the ball past St. Lawrences goalkeeper Ryan Roethel to put his team ahead 1-0.

Just under two minutes later, Phillips and the Ducks struck again. Dunbar carried the ball down into the Saints defensive zone and sent a low pass to the other side of the field where Phillips placed a low shot into the left corner of the net for his second goal of the game.

St. Lawrence managed just two shots on goal in the first half. The first opportunity came when Saints captain Andrew Bednarsky hit a hard shot from 30 yards out that Stevens goalkeeper Paul Killian deflected onto the crossbar. Jamal Samaroo was crashing the net for the Saints on the far side, but his put back attempt sailed just high of the net.

Around the 13:00 minute mark, the Saints had another chance when first-year student Rob Brandells header in front of the Stevens goal beat Killian, but a defender was there to head it off the line.

The visitors extended their lead to 3-0 in the 35th minute as Curtis Stecyk sent a pass over the top of the Saints defense to Mikula, who beat the Saints goalkeeper on the right side in a one-on-one

In the second half, the Saints came into a bit of good fortune on an indirect kick from about 30 yards out. Mark Provosts high pass into the goalkeepers zone was touched by Killian before crossing the goal line into the net, putting St. Lawrence on the board.

Roethel, who made a nice reflex save on Mikulas shot from just inside the 18 yard box in the second half, was relieved by Aaron Costello in the 14th minute. Costello made several saves in the final minutes, including one diving on Phillips shot to the opposite corner. Mikula, however, capitalized with 1:53, putting a high shot over the head of Costello to cap the Ducks scoring.

ROOS FALL TO NAZARETH

In Pittsford, the SUNY Canton Mens Soccer team was firing on all cylinders offensively as they scored three goals and were in the match throughout, but ultimately fell to host Nazareth at the Doug May Classic.

The Kangaroos got on the board first in the 18th minute when Hunter Mowery (Elizabethtown, NY) fed a cross to Nick Escalante (Whittier, CA) who cut in front of net and beat Golden Flyer keeper J.P. Horan to make it 1-0. Nazareth responded with a rebound goal 15 minutes later to tie it at one apiece.

SUNY Canton was on the attack once again in the 36th minute when Abdulai Jagana (Bronx, NY) played a beautiful cross up the field to Tyler Gallagher and the former Parishville-Hopkinton Central standout went one-on-one with the Flyer keeper to restore a one-score advantage for the Roos. Just over a minute later, Nazareth knotted the game at two when Simon Mounsdon rocketed a shot in the back of the net from outside the box. The teams played to a 2-2 tie at intermission.

Just less than 10 minutes out of break the Golden Flyers took their first lead of the match on a Michael Batiste score. The Roos showed their resiliency responding in the 59th minute when Marvin Palmer assisted a Jagana marker to once again even the seesaw battle at 3-3.

Nazareth added two scores in the contests final 30 minutes to earn the 5-3 victory despite an admirable performance from SUNY Canton. Evan Drew stopped 11 shots for the Roos in net, while Horan made nine saves for the Flyers.

The mens soccer team will return to the pitch Saturday when it takes on Rochester Institute of Technology beginning at 2:30 p.m.

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